WTN: Wines with duck

2008 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Feinherb (Mosel)
Leftovers; showing even better on the second day with a little more richness and depth. Fresh green apple, pear and yellow fruited flavours accented with talc, minerals and floral notes; very refreshing in the mouth with just a faint hint of sweetness and bright acidity keeping it very light and refreshing. Delicious.

2007 Jacques Puffeney Pinot Noir Arbois (Jura)
Along the lines of the last bottle I opened earlier in the summer. Fantastic Pinot somehow managing to show both a sense of rusticity and finessed elegance; combining fresh red and dark fruits with savoury earth, herbal and faint floral and funky elements. There's tremendous depth here, and yet it feels light as a feather with barely any sense of weight and tremendous complexity and presence. A wow wine, and I'm glad I have a few more.

2007 Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru En Caradeux Clos de la Croix de Pierre
Comes across a little ripe following the Puffeney, full of friendly cherry, raspberry and plummy fruit over a gravelly mineral base. The fruit's quite ripe but there's plenty of acidity that keeps it very fresh and streamlined, and the whole package is all too easy to drink and a wonderful match with duck confit.

One of my fave experiences with duck was Lytton Springs Zinfandel, poured from a teapot cos restaurant owner was non licensed!!!

With duck, I favour Northern Rhône and, with some of the rich South Western preparations like cassoulet or confit de canard, one of the heavy hitters from the region like Cahors or Madiran.

We go with Cab Franc preferabley from Loire. We usally slow cook and then crisp it up on high temp; and serve with orange sauce.

With duck, I favour Northern Rhône and, with some of the rich South Western preparations like cassoulet or confit de canard, one of the heavy hitters from the region like Cahors or Madiran.

Tim, remember on the UK forum someone suggested Pinot Gris.

With duck, I favour Northern Rhône and, with some of the rich South Western preparations like cassoulet or confit de canard, one of the heavy hitters from the region like Cahors or Madiran.

Tim, remember on the UK forum someone suggested Pinot Gris.

A rich Alsatian Pinot Gris might work if not too sweet. The standard Pinot Grigio would be a disaster. BTW I read somewhere about pink Pinot Gris in one of those obscure Loire appellations like Reuilly or Quincy; apparently some are very good.

[David M. Bueker]

With duck I drink wine.

Many varieties work well.

One of my fave experiences with duck was Lytton Springs Zinfandel, poured from a teapot cos restaurant owner was non licensed!!!

I would be OK with the teapot (providing it wasn't metal), but I hope you didn't need to drink the wine out of teacups!

With duck I drink wine.

Many varieties work well.

Heretic!!!

One of the meatier Cru Beaujolais is my go-to for magret de canard. For cuisses de canard, I'm usually going for Burgundy or a Loire Cab Franc. For whole roast duck (none of those sticky-sweet sauces for me, thanks!) I usually go with the Loire Cab Francs. With Peking Duck, it's Riesling for me.

Mark Lipton

What about with duck confit Mark?

What about with duck confit Mark?

Good question, Salil. Like Tim, if it's in cassoulet (where 90% of my confit consumption occurs), I'm reaching for something dark and tannic. On its own, confit is so salty and intense that it presents a pairing challenge. I'd still probably reach for a powerful Riesling with it.

Mark Lipton

What about with duck confit Mark?

Good question, Salil. Like Tim, if it's in cassoulet (where 90% of my confit consumption occurs), I'm reaching for something dark and tannic. On its own, confit is so salty and intense that it presents a pairing challenge. I'd still probably reach for a powerful Riesling with it.

Mark Lipton

After many years of my wife's annual cassoulet dinners the consensus from a varied group of wine geeks, Cote Rotie, Hermitage, CDP, + Steve Edmunds one year said we should try some Barberesco or Barolo which both worked fine. Cab, Cab Franc, Zin, Bordeaux, Tuscan, Burgs, didn't make the cut. Now I'm sure there are other red wines that would work and maybe we'll get around to them one of these years.